In the field of man-made pools, many different types of surface finishes exist to create whatever surface effect a pool purchaser is seeking. Popular finishes include a pebble finish made of exposed small aggregate stones and a smoother exposed marble aggregate finish. These surfaces can be color and texture enhanced by virtue of the sand, aggregate and cement colors chosen to create the applied product. These products are available under various tradenames including Terrazzo, Marble Blend, Pearl Matrix, Satin Matrix, Hydrazzo, and Durazzo. Some providers of pool finishing also use aggregate capable of glowing following exposure to sunlight, these include, for example, Aqua-Glow, sold by Colored Aggregate Systems.
In each of these types of exposed aggregate finishes, regardless of the type or nature of the aggregate being exposed, the process is encumbered with the penultimate aggregate exposing part of the process following the application of the mixture to the pool shell. In addition, although the surfaces can be relatively smooth, and especially in the case of the small aggregate exposed pebble finish, the surface can still be quite rough on feet, toes, and scraped limbs of pool users. The same problems exist for the relatively smoother marble aggregate based finishes, but to a lesser extent.
The processes of exposing the aggregate in the exposed aggregate finishes can be time consuming, costly, and a uniform appearance a very difficult result to achieve. In the case of the marble aggregate finish, typically an acid washing step exposes the aggregate. This acid treatment is followed by an acid neutralizing step. Care must be taken to avoid fumes for the workers and streaking of the surface being treated. A thorough brushing of the surface is necessary during the acid wash. Following the acid wash and subsequent neutralizer treatment, the surface is lightly buffed to remove any remaining cement residue that was not removed by the acid wash. Care is to be taken to avoid potential damage to the surface from too rapid drying (high temperature and low humidity and, perhaps, high winds). In certain circumstances a complete pool covering is recommended along with periodic fogging or misting of the surface! Finally, when filling the pool, uninterrupted filling is recommended, and all fill hoses and outlets should be sock covered to avoid marking the new surface, and no direct contact with a hose length is allowed, also to avoid marking.
Another known method of finishing pool interior surfaces involves applying a plaster that includes various selected colored aggregates and, once semi-dried, sanding the surface smooth to expose aggregate. This process is also subject to quality variations owing to the skill of the crew doing the application and sanding. Care has to be taken in the preparation of the mix to obtain the correct and intended texture and colors in successive onsite batches. Additionally, if too much aggregate is present, the mix can be difficult if not impossible to pump from the mixing location to the application site. The application has to be rapid enough to ensure uniformity of the layers and, thereafter, a sanded surface that is relatively uniform in aggregate appearance. In instances where successive batches of plastering mix are not identically prepared or uniformly applied, uneven and unpredictable results can occur with owner dis-satisfaction following therefrom. In addition, owing to the exposure of only the upper surface of the sanded mixture, a considerable amount of the expensive colored aggregate is essentially “wasted” as merely a part of the unseen plastering mix not located immediately proximate the exposed surface. This can be quite expensive inasmuch as some of the performance aggregate can cost upwards of $35.00 per pound.
In the instances where a performance or glow type aggregate has been seeded into the surface, the recommended exposure step is the acid wash, or the use of a retarder, to thereafter expose the “natural” appearance of the aggregate, sharp edges, points and all. As noted previously, this acid wash step is fraught with difficulty and requires considerable expertise to perform. In addition, without sanding the surface remains rough and is thusly hard on user's skin and swim suits, etc.
The prior art pool surfaces are problematic in their application and consistency, expensive, and subject to results that can vary widely from work crew to work crew and jobsite to jobsite.